These Oven Baked Crispy Chili Tacos with Ground Beef are my new workhorse, weeknight, busy-night, stressed-out-night, no-time-for-anything-night meal.
With nearly zero prep, they are ready in 30 minutes, start to finish, flavorful enough that they are not boring, but simple enough that picky eaters love them.
These tacos are made with ground beef and spices just like you’d find in a big pot of chili. Once the meat has been browned, it is layered in soft tortillas that have been brushed with olive oil and lined with melty cheddar cheese. They bake in the oven to crispy, satisfying perfection.
Top them with guac and salsa, or, if you have time, sautéed onions and peppers. They're also great alongside refried black beans. I make a habit of doubling this recipe for easy leftovers the next day or later in the week. I’ve made these about a dozen times since first developing and testing the recipe. They are that good.
About half the time I make them, I sub out the ground beef for ground turkey, which is also excellent.
Ingredients
Below are the ingredients needed to make these Oven Baked Crispy Chili Tacos with Ground Beef.
- Ground Beef: Use organic grass-fed ground beef if possible. Ground turkey is an excellent substitute.
- Corn Tortillas: I use small 5-inch organic corn tortillas. Lately, I’ve been using a brand called Masienda.
- Tomato Paste: The recipe calls for ¼ cup. If you double the recipe, you end up using close to a whole 6oz can of tomato paste.
- Salt: Brings out flavor.
- Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Cumin, Chili Powder: Chili spices used to flavor the meat filling. The amount of these spices leads to a flavorful taco filling, but it’s not spicy. Perfect for little kids.
- Water: This helps to meld the tomato paste, spices, and meat, and replaces the liquid lost when the fat is drained.
- Cheddar Cheese Slices: Using cheddar cheese slices makes assembling the tacos the easiest thing in the world. Rather than grating cheese and trying to precisely place the cheese on each tortilla, you just lay down one slice of cheddar per tortilla, and you’re done!
- Olive Oil: I recommend using extra virgin olive oil because it adds flavor, but any olive oil will work here.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Oven Baked Crispy Chili Tacos with Ground Beef
Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make Oven Baked Crispy Chili Tacos with Ground Beef.
*Note: The recipe card with instructions, ingredient list, and quantities is included further below these step-by-step photos.
Prep: Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Step 1. Cook the Ground Beef: Bring a large sauté pan to medium heat. Add the ground beef, stirring and breaking up the meat until browned and fully cooked, about 7-10 minutes. Drain and discard the fat.
Step 2. Tomato Paste and Spices: Stir in the tomato paste, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, and 1 cup of water. Simmer gently for 2 minutes or more as needed until there is no excess liquid in the pan. Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat. There shouldn't be excess liquid in the pan, but the mixture shouldn't be dry.
Step 3. Tortillas and Olive Oil: Place 6-8 tortillas on a baking sheet and brush each tortilla with extra virgin olive oil.
Step 4. Cheddar Cheese Slices: Flip the tortillas upside down so that the olive oil side is now facing down, and layer each tortilla with a slice of cheddar cheese. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven.
Note: You can set up two baking sheets with 6-8 tortillas each and place both on separate racks in the oven at the same time.
Step 5. Fill and Bake: Add a couple of spoonfuls of the meat filling to half of each tortilla on top of the melty cheese. Using tongs or a spatula, fold the tortillas in half to form a taco. Be careful not to burn yourself. The melty cheese helps the tortillas to stick and stay closed.
Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes at 425°F or until crispy and lightly golden brown.
Tip: If using two baking sheets at the same time, keep an eye on them. If one pan looks like it's getting crispier faster than the other, rotate them halfway through baking.
Tips for Making the Best Oven Baked Crispy Chili Tacos
- Corn Tortillas: Use good quality corn tortillas. This will impact the flavor and texture of the crunchy tacos.
- Water: When cooking the ground beef with the spices and tomato paste, monitor the amount of water or liquid in the pan. There shouldn't be excess liquid in the pan when the meat is done, which would cause the tacos to be soggy. The filling also shouldn't be dry. If too liquidy, simmer the meat in the sauce longer. If the filling is too dry, add more water.
- Cheddar Cheese Slices: Using slices instead of grated cheese just makes life (or cooking this dinner) easier. Each taco will be covered in melty cheese with little effort, which also helps to seal the tacos when folded over.
- DOUBLE THIS RECIPE: Consider doubling the recipe. It's super easy to double and assemble some extra tacos. The leftover tacos can easily be reheated another night during the week or for lunch if you're at home. It is well worth it. Even if you don't have time to make all the tacos at once, make double the amount of meat and then assemble and bake the tacos right before eating. Doubling this recipe saves so much time in your week.
Serving, Storage and Reheating Tips
- To Serve: Serve with guacamole, diced tomatoes, lettuce, and salsa or with refried beans on the side.
- To Store: Store the tacos in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To Reheat: Place the tacos on a baking sheet and reheat at 350°F for 8-10 minutes until warm, crispy, and the cheese has started to melt.
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Oven Baked Crispy Chili Tacos with Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef
- 12 small 5-inch corn tortillas
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons cumin
- ¾ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 cup water
- 12 cheddar cheese slices
- 2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Bring a large sauté pan to medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat until all the meat has browned, about 7-10 minutes. Drain the fat and discard.
- Stir in the tomato paste, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, and water. Simmer gently for 2 minutes or more as needed, stirring occasionally until the water has been absorbed and there is no excess liquid in the pan. Remove from the heat.
- Place 6-8 tortillas on a baking sheet and brush each tortilla with olive oil. Flip the tortillas upside down and layer each one with a slice of cheddar cheese. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes.The olive oil helps the outside of the taco get crispy, and melting the cheese helps to seal the tacos after adding the filling.Note: You can set up two baking sheets with 6-8 tortillas each and place both on separate racks in the oven at the same time.
- Remove the tortillas from the oven and add a couple of spoonfuls of the meat to one side of each taco. Using tongs or a spatula (be careful not to burn yourself), fold the tacos in half, pressing to close (the melty cheese helps with this). Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until crispy and lightly golden brown.Note: If using two baking sheets at the same time, keep an eye on them. If one pan looks like it's getting crispier faster than the other, rotate them halfway through baking.
Notes
- Corn Tortillas: Use good quality corn tortillas. This will impact the flavor and texture of the crunchy tacos.
- Water: When cooking the ground beef with the spices and tomato paste, monitor the amount of water or liquid in the pan. There shouldn't be excess liquid in the pan when the meat is done, which would cause the tacos to be soggy. The filling also shouldn't be dry. If too liquidy, simmer the meat in the sauce longer. If the filling is too dry, add more water.
- Cheddar Cheese Slices: Using slices instead of grated cheese just makes life (or cooking this dinner) easier. Each taco will be covered in melty cheese with little effort, which also helps to seal the tacos when folded over.
- DOUBLE THIS RECIPE: Consider doubling the recipe. It's super easy to double and assemble some extra tacos. The leftover tacos can easily be reheated another night during the week or for lunch if you're at home. It is well worth it. Even if you don't have time to make all the tacos at once, make double the amount of meat and then assemble and bake the tacos right before eating. Doubling this recipe saves so much time in your week.
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